Malfunctions
by stephfarrow94
Summary: When Bel is hit by the malfunctioning Ten-Year Bazooka during a meeting with the Vongola, he is reverted back to his six-year-old form. Xanxus leaves him in Fran's care, and Fran is about to learn that even as a child, Bel is a handful.
1. Chapter 1

Sometimes Xanxus didn't know why he bothered to attend the meetings with the Vongola guardians; they were really nothing but a waste of his time, being informed of things he already knew.

Right now, ten years after the Ring Battles, a meeting had been scheduled for two reasons – one; so the Vongola could meet Varia's new Mist Guardian, a boy who had been in their ranks for a few weeks now. And two; so a discussion on their now-malfunctioning Ten-Year-Bazooka could be held in order to try and find a way to fix it.

Xanxus knew this was all just a waste of his time, and he would much rather let the Vongola brat figure it out himself – but he also knew he had to at least go to keep an eye on his subordinates that would most likely cause more trouble than they were worth.

So now, as he sat within the meeting room in his favourite chair with a bored expression on his face, watching the Vongola trash introduce themselves to his new Mist Guardian, he could really, _really _go for some wine.

"Oi, trash," Xanxus growled. Everyone's heads turned as _trash_ really didn't give an indication as to whom he was talking to. "Go get me some wine."

Leviathan, ever the obedient lapdog, left immediately with high hopes of impressing his boss. Everyone else just thought he was a stupid sheep who needed to stop stalking their boss.

The Vongola Decimo, Tsuna, was relaxed as he spoke to Varia's Mist Guardian, finding the boy much more approachable than anyone else in the Varia.

"Hello, Fran." Tsuna smiled as he extended a hand, reaching out to shake the younger boy's. "I'm Tsuna, and these are my own Guardians."

Fran didn't reply, his teal eyes just watching the five other people gathered behind their boss curiously. He counted them, and he realised that one Guardian was missing.

The other Varia members were sitting in the middle of the room, talking amongst themselves. Lussuria and Squalo were holding a rather civilised conversation while Belphegor just twirled one of his knives around on his finger.

"The prince is bored." Belphegor pouted, swinging his legs back and forth beneath the large meeting table they were sitting at. "When are we going back to Italy?"

"Soon, Bel." Lussuria smiled, reaching out to pat the younger male's hand in a soothing manner. "You can go and have some fun after we're finished the meeting, okay?"

Back with Tsuna, he had just about finished introducing his guardians to the Varia's Mist, who he had learned was named Fran, before Xanxus growled again, "Hurry the fuck up, trash. You're boring us all."

Tsuna squeaked as he jumped, his nervousness around Xanxus greatly apparent. "S-sorry!" Turning back to his guardians, he mumbled something into his Rain Guardian's ear.

Xanxus just watched as Tsuna turned back to face him. He smirked as the other explained he had sent Yamamoto off to grab the Ten-Year Bazooka, idly wondering why Leviathan was taking so long with his booze.

"A-anyway…" Tsuna cleared his throat as he gathered up his courage to explain the Vongola's problem, "…our Lightning Guardian has the Ten-Year Bazooka, but… it's malfunctioning… It sent him back ten years into the past, and its effects still haven't worn off."

"You mean that cow baby from the Ring Battles?" Lussuria laughed, remembering the antics the Vongola's Lightning Guardian had made during his fight against their own.

"Yeah, that's right." Tsuna nodded.

"And what the hell are _we _supposed to do about it?" Squalo asked, looking over from Lussuria and Bel. "It's not _our _problem your Lightning Guardian doesn't take care of his things."

Tsuna sighed. He knew Squalo was right, but who else could he rely on to help fix this? He was still only getting used to his position and he didn't know how to go about contacting the Bovino Family where Lambo was originally from – even if he did, he couldn't speak Italian.

"I didn't know who else to talk to about it," Tsuna admitted sheepishly. "And I thought it might be okay for me to ask for your help since we had to have the meeting anyway."

"Dear, we don't know the first thing about a Ten-Year Bazooka," Lussuria said softly. "Or _any _bazooka for that matter. We're an assassination squad; not engineers."

"I realise that…" Tsuna frowned; he knew he was wasting their time, but surely if he could just get them to have a look… Maybe they'd notice something Reborn didn't, or have a theory about why it's malfunctioning – perhaps even help him start in the right direction in getting help. "It's just…"

"Here you, Tsuna!"

The occupants of the room turned to the entrance way as the Vongola Rain Guardian, Yamamoto, stepped in with a happy grin on his face, the Ten-Year Bazooka resting over his shoulder.

"Oh, thank you, Yamamoto." Tsuna smiled as he took the weapon from his friend, laying it out on the floor. He turned back to the Varia, disheartened by their disinterested faces. "Could you at least take a look at it and tell me what you think?"

"Voi! We're not a fucking – Bel!" Squalo snapped at his younger comrade as the blond sauntered over to the bazooka with a grin. "Get back here, shithead!"

Bel, who was incredibly bored, picked up the device. His obscured eyes scanned the bazooka quickly, his mind forming pieces of information together about it as he went. He was curious by nature, and he had never seen the Ten-Year Bazooka before.

"Bel, leave it alone, honey," Lussuria called out as he stood up, about to leave with the other Varia. "We're going to our rooms now."

"How does it work?" Bel asked as he ignored the group behind him. He unintentionally aimed the bazooka at himself as he looked it over curiously, fascinated by such a thing. "What makes it switch places with its user?"

"I'm not really sure, but – Bel, be careful!" Tsuna, who could see the way the older male was about to press against the trigger, panicked.

Bel looked up at the brunet as his fumbling accidentally caught the trigger of the bazooka. "What's wrong? I just –"

Tsuna, who didn't want anyone else to be hit with the bazooka until they worked out what was wrong with it and how they could fix the problem, squeaked as the blond disappeared in a pink cloud.

"B-bel!" Tsuna jumped to his feet, greatly concerned about what they would find of Varia's Storm Guardian; with such a device messing up as it was, they just didn't know what to expect.

"Fucking trash!" Xanxus roared at his subordinate's fuck up; without his wine, he was far more irritated than usual. "Going around touching shit when we fucking tell you to leave it alone!"

Lussuria looked panicked as Squalo just stood where he was, looking at the pink cloud with a blank expression. Fran, who was still standing with the Vongola group, tilted his head, having never heard of a Ten-Year Bazooka before and having no idea what it did.

"Bel-senpai?" Fran, who could see the cloud was parting, was confused as to why his partner was no longer standing where he had been. "Bel-senpai, where'd you go?"

"He's there, Fran…" Lussuria said in a voice full of disbelief, almost as if he were sure his eyes were playing tricks. "He's just… smaller…"

"Huh?"

Fran blinked again, studying the now-disappearing cloud carefully. He hummed as he made out a _much _smaller body sitting where Bel had stood – looking almost _exactly _like a miniature Bel.

"Bel-senpai?" Fran blinked again, reaching out to poke the boy's chubby cheek.

The boy slapped Fran's hand away, an irritated frown crossing his face. "You can't poke the prince, peasant!"

"Oh, that's definitely Bel-senpai." Fran nodded to himself as he crossed his arms over his chest, almost as if he had just solved some huge mystery. "He's just mini right now."

"Hey, why has he gone back further than ten years?" Lussuria questioned, coming over to look at little Bel. "He's even younger than he was when he joined us at just eight."

"I told you; the bazooka is messing up," Tsuna said, not knowing what to think – he had honestly expected the Varia to jump him for allowing this to happen to their member, but instead they all seemed really calm about it, almost as if they didn't care.

"Where is the prince?" Little Bel questioned, looking around at his surroundings in confusion. He hugged the bunny teddy he had brought from the past with him tightly, his lips set in a firm frown. He took in the large windows that covered the far wall, the huge table in the middle of the room with chairs all around it. There was a fireplace against the back wall, and a desk sat next to the entrance door.

"Umm…" Tsuna bit his lip, not knowing what to say – how could he explain to a _kid _about what had just happened?

Xanxus got out of his chair, a _very _annoyed expression on his face. He stomped over to the kid sitting on the floor, not caring for the way Little Bel whimpered and flinched at his approach.

Leaning down, the Varia leader grabbed the back of Bel's black shirt, lifting him into the air.

"Hey!" Bel cried, hugging his teddy tighter. "Release Prince Bel right now, peasant!"

Xanxus just snorted before he threw the boy at Fran like one would a piece of junk. Turning to leave the meeting room, he called over his shoulder, "He's your responsibility now, trash."

Lussuria and Squalo watched Fran and Bel for a few more seconds before they followed after their boss, knowing that their orders were to follow him to their own rooms.

Fran looked down at the boy in his arms, not knowing what to do – he had never had any experience with kids before, and this was the blond who, over a course of just a few weeks, had stabbed him, belittled him and treated him like _shit. _

Two of the Vongola guardians approached, and Fran recognised them as Gokudera and Yamamoto. Gokudera observed the boy with a wary gaze while Yamamoto just laughed.

"Little Bel is so cute!" Yamamoto grinned, reaching out to pat blond hair.

Bel pouted before he replied, "Prince Bel is _not_ cute."

Tsuna smiled shyly at Fran before he said, now that the other Varia had left, "U-um, well, since you're all s-staying here a while… w-we can help you with him until a solution comes up…"

Fran just nodded, tightening his hold on the boy in his arms. He didn't know what to think – he had barley known Bel when he was an adult, only ever seeing his vicious, nasty side. Would this kid be any different?

"Who are you?" Bel raised a hand, poking Fran's frog hat curiously. He raised his teddy higher so that Fran could see it, saying, "This is Bunny."

Though Fran's expression didn't change, he couldn't help but think that this kid was much cuter than his adult form.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N Sorry about not having updated anything within the past week; my cat was bitten by a snake and I had been too distraught to write. We brought her home from the vet yesterday, but she can still go downhill in the coming weeks, so if I abruptly stop updating again, that's probably what has happened and apologies in advance.**

Bel sat at the desk in Fran's bedroom, watching as the older male made up a bed on the floor. He frowned, knowing that treatment was _not _fit for a prince.

"Prince Bel refuses to sleep on the floor like a peasant." Bel crossed his tiny arms against his chest, a large pout crossing his face.

"Then where _do _you want to sleep?"

Fran was tired, and he wasn't in the mood for this - if the kid could make his mind up, he'd gladly accept and be done with it.

"With Froggy." Bel smiled brightly, his arms reaching into the air as if he wanted to be picked up. Fran sighed; even twenty years into the past, Bel _still _thought of him as a frog.

"No."

Fran's voice was monotone as always, but he felt uncomfortable inside; he had never shared a bed with anyone before, and he didn't want to start with the psychopathic prince who stabbed him on a daily basis - even if it _were _his twenty-year-younger self. The kid would probably _bite _him or something in his sleep...

Bel pouted again, his arms dropping to his sides. "Prince Bel is a prince, and a prince can do whatever a prince wants."

Fran ignored this. He placed the finishing touches on Bel's makeshift bed, gesturing to it before he climbed into his own, _proper _bed. He could hear Bel pacing around behind him, but he didn't turn around to look at what the younger was doing - part of him didn't _want _to know.

Bel, who absolutely _refused _to sleep on the floor, paced back and forth by Fran's bed. He wanted to just climb in and go to sleep - because he was a prince, he could do whatever he wanted - but he also knew that, because he wasn't _Rasiel__, he _didn't get the same special treatment his older twin did - just because he could do what he wanted didn't mean others would be happy with him for doing so.

_I don't want to sleep on the stupid floor... _Bel pouted as he reached out, tugging on the comforter Fran had pulled up to his chin.

"Hey, Froggy?"

Fran sighed as he rolled around to face Bel. "What?"

"Prince Bel really wants to sleep with Froggy." The boy pulled on the most innocent expression he could muster, smiling as he held his hands behind his back while he rocked back and forth on the balls of his feet. "Prince Bel will be good."

The teenager sighed as he pulled back the comforter, silently inviting the boy into the bed. He rolled his eyes when the blond grinned and scrambled beneath the covers head-first, not sure why he had agreed to this. He shuddered as

Bel curled up against him and he couldn't help but push the younger away.

"Stay on _your _side," Fran muttered as he rolled as far away from Bel as he could.

The boy pouted again, but he did as he was told, not wanting to risk being thrown out of such a comfortable bed. He tried to close his eyes and sleep, but he was so excited from being in such a new place, he found it impossible.

"Froggy, do you like Prince Bel?" the boy smiled placidly as he tugged on the green pyjama shirt Fran was wearing. Fran just grunted, wanting to sleep. Bel frowned, his tugging ceasing almost instantly - did Fran not like Prince Bel...? Was it because he wasn't _Rasiel__...? _"Why don't you like Prince Bel...?"

Fran rolled over to face Bel, annoyance shining in his teal eyes. "I never said that. Go to sleep."

Bel, who was biting his lip, spoke again. "So you _do _like Prince Bel?"

"No," the Mist Guardian said instinctively. "Go to _sleep._"

Bel narrowed his obscured eyes at the older male, throwing his teddy at the teenager. "Prince Bel doesn't like _you, _either, then!"

Fran listened as Bel slid out of the bed, and it took several minutes of the boy acting as a human hurricane before he sat up and called the prince back to his side.

Bel looked up with hopeful eyes, wanting to hear that Fran liked him as much as he liked Fran. "...?"

Fran ignored the mess Bel had made of the room, knowing that a maid could clean it up later. He instead patted the mattress he was _trying _to sleep on, inviting the boy back up.

_Whatever it takes to get him to sleep... _"Yes. I like you, Bel." Fran had never thought he'd say those words, but _damnit, _was he _tired! _

"_Prince _Bel!" the boy demanded, pouting up at the older male.

Fran sighed. "I like you, _Prince _Bel. Now, please; go to sleep."

Bel crawled silently back onto the mattress, a large grin on his face. He waited until he was _sure _Fran was just on the verge of sleep... And then, like a snake in waiting, struck.

Throwing his weight onto Fran, Bel struck him with tiny fists as he demanded for Fran to give him back the teddy _he _had thrown at him earlier.

_I take back what I said and thought earlier, _Fran thought as he threw the teddy back at Bel with the most dangerous glare he could muster - which really only looked slightly annoyed. _This kid isn't cute, and I don't like him. _


	3. Chapter 3

When Fran awoke the next morning, he found Bel sleeping soundly next to him with the rabbit in his arms, his tiny hand gripping the green pyjama shirt the older wore tightly. The teenager couldn't help but smile, reaching out to pat the younger's head.

Bel stirred at the feeling of someone caressing his head. He blinked sleepily before rolling over to look at Fran. He yawned before he pressed closer against the warm body, snuggling in as if it were the most comfortable position ever.

"Get off me." Fran pushed Bel away before he climbed out of the bed, moving to the conjoined bathroom to take care of his hygiene.

Bel just shrugged, curling up where Fran had been laying previously. He sighed in content, warm and happy - for the first time since he could remember, he didn't have to share a bed with someone who kept him up most of the night trying to push him out of it.

The boy frowned at the thought before he pulled the rabbit closer. "Stupid Siel... Always being mean to Prince Bel... At least Froggy didn't push him out of the bed."

Bel remained where he was until he heard the sounds of the shower from the bathroom shut off. He heard the older male moving around in the bathroom for a few minutes before Fran came back out, dressed in his Varia uniform. His head was free of the frog hat, revealing damp teal hair that messed up towards the back, resembling his Master's hair style.

"It's time for breakfast," Fran said quietly. He reached down to pick up the frog hat he had thrown the previous night before deciding there was no point - there was no longer a twenty-six-year-old Bel here to force him. "Let's go."

Bel blinked as he watched Fran pull away from the frog hat. "Why don't you wear it?"

Fran just shrugged. "Let's go."

Bel scampered out of the bed and, still in his pyjamas, chased after the teenager. He held Bunny close to him, his tiny feet pattering against the hardwood floor.

"What's for breakfast?" Bel asked.

"Don't know." It was silent after that until they reached the dining room;

Fran had never been a morning person, and Bel was thinking about his meal, hoping it was fit for royalty - if it wasn't, he'd have to send them back to the kitchen until they got it right.

"Sit over there, Bel." Fran pointed to the empty seat between Squalo and Xanxus, hoping the kid could take the hint and leave him alone.

Bel pouted before he stomped his foot, turning to glare at the teenager. "It's _Prince _Bel! And no - Prince Bel wants to sit with his Froggy!"

Fran could feel a migraine coming on - having dealt with the brat for one night was enough...! "Alright. Alright. _Prince _Bel can sit with me. Just be quiet."

Bel grinned happily as he followed the older male over to the other side of the table. He waited until the teal-haired teenger had sat down before he climbed onto the other's lap, nestling himself in close.

"What are you doing?" Fran glared down at the boy, not liking Bel so close to him.

"You said Prince Bel can sit with you...?" Bel sighed, expecting to be kicked off the comfortable lap.

Fran felt his heart sinking at how uncertain the boy sounded - so _different _to the cocky man who would string you up and slice you into pieces just because he was bored.

Shaking his head, Fran replied. "Yeah. It doesn't matter anymore."

Lussuria, the one who had been cooking breakfast for everyone, grinned as he placed an extra bowl in front of Bel and Fran. "Breakfast will be ready in a moment, boys."

Fran shrugged, taking this time to look around at who they were sitting with. There was the Vongola Decimo, Tsuna, sitting at the head of the table, conversing with Gokudera who sat on his right - he obviously takes his 'right-hand man' position literally, Fran thought. Yamamoto sat on Tsuna's left, talking to Squalo. Xanxus was glaring down at his empty plate, as if blaming it for all of his troubles. Mammon, Lambo and Reborn sat together, a bunch of phone-books stacked on their chairs to give them a high advantage. Ryohei and Chrome were helping Lussuria cook, and Hibari was nowhere to be seen. Levi was nowhere to be seen - not that anyone cared.

Fran zoned out, his attention shifting from his external environment to his internal one. He was thinking about his Master, still trying to plan a way to get him out of the Vindice Prison. He had almost come up with a fool-proof idea - _almost - _until he was startled back into reality by Squalo screaming at Xanxus, accompanied by the shattering of a plate.

Apparently, the two in charge of the Varia were arguing about something trivial - and Bel, being the little boy he was, was frightened.

"F-froggy..." Bel's tiny hand gripped the sleeve of Fran's uniform. He looked up at the teenager, and though his eyes were hidden behind blond locks, his downturned mouth told the older male what he needed to know.

"It's okay." Fran wrapped an arm around Bel's tiny waist, pulling him close. He didn't know why, but the thought of this little child being frightened of fighting changed his entire outlook on the Bel he had known previously. "Ignore them."

"Don't like yelling..." Bel shuddered as Xanxus shouted something back, reaching up to clap a petite hand over one ear while he blocked the other with Fran's chest. "Don't like it..."

"Why...?" The older Bel - the one that took enjoyment out of taking lives - had _never _shown such weakness before; it was almost as if the blood-thirsty prince didn't _have _a weakness.

"Father... Father always yells at me..." Bel sighed. "He yells at me and hits me because I'm not good like Rasiel..."

_Bastard..._ Fran's grip on the kid tightened, his heart jerking in concern - it was like he was _worried _about Bel's happiness. "...But _they're _not yelling at you, Bel - _Prince _Bel."

"Don't like it..." The grip Bel had on Fran's sleeve never loosened, not once. Even when Xanxus and Squalo stopped shouting at each other minutes later and they had all started eating, Bel continued to hold Fran's sleeve, as if it were his safety-guard.

Fran - to his own surprise - didn't find himself minding in the least.

~~XX~~

After lunch, Fran had discovered the hard way that little Bel was a destructive little brat when he was bored. He found this out the hard way after walking into his room and finding said little shit in the process of tearing the mattress apart, scattering what he pulled from it amongst the clothing he had apparently taken scissors to.

Yamamoto had accompanied them. His reasoning? Bel was simply too adorable to leave be.

The toy-store had been their first stop, buying the kid anything he had wanted - thought it hadn't gone as easily as they had planned due to having to chase

Bel around the store when the blond decided he wanted to play Catch-the-Bel-and-Everything-He-Pulls-off-the-Shelves.

Yamamoto had found it all to be in good spirits, and when he eventually scooped the kid up into his arms, he laughed cheerfully, taking no offence whatsoever to Bel's bad behaviour - even when Fran had gotten slapped in the face for what seemed like no reason by the stuffed rabbit Bel seemed to carry everywhere.

Needless to say, once Fran had bought the toys Bel wanted, he was reluctant to say yes when Bel asked for ice cream, wary of what the younger would do this time.

Yamamoto had insisted, offering to pay for everyone's ice cream. Fran gave in after getting slapped around a few more times by a rabbit that had seen better days.

So with Bel perched on Yamamoto's shoulders, looking down at all of the ice cream buckets, he was taking a long time deciding what he wanted. The dark-haired male was as patient as ever, chatting all the while to the worker behind the counter. It was Fran who was getting impatient.

The teal-haired teenager licked at his vanilla ice cream tentatively as he eyed Bel, hoping he was out of range of the blond's teddy-bear attacks; such good ice cream couldn't go to waste.

"What flavour do you want?" Fran couldn't keep the icy tone out of his voice, fed up with waiting. To his horror, another pout started forming on the young boy's face.

"Prince Bel wants strawberry, but there's none!" Bel threw his arms up and down in the air in a mini-tantrum, banging the rabbit against Yamamoto's chest. "Make there be strawberry, frog peasant!"

"I _can't _make a flavour magically appear," Fran started to scold, "so either pick out another flavour that _is _there, or -"

Yamamoto laughed loudly as he watched Bel kick out at the younger male, the kid's foot connecting with Fran's ice cream cone, sending vanilla ice cream all over the Mist Guardian's face.

Fran just stood there in shock while the worker's mouth hang open, not knowing what to do or say. Yamamoto merely chuckled as he grabbed serviettes from the counter, cleaning off the ice cream from the teenager's face.

"That kid isn't a prince," Fran managed out once he was sure most of the dairy snack was gone from his face. "It's a _demon_."

Bel, who was now happily licking at the chocolate ice cream Yamamoto had given him, paid them no attention - it had all been worth it in the end.


	4. Chapter 4

When Fran woke up the next morning, he let Bel sleep peacefully on the other side of the bed. He slipped off the mattress and into the bathroom, having a quick shower before heading downstairs for breakfast.

By the time the teal-haired teenager made it to the kitchen, he found it was only Tsuna and Gokudera there, no hint of anyone else around.

"Luss should be making breakfast by now," Fran pointed out as the others stopped talking to look at him. "Where is everyone?"

"I imagine Lussuria-kun has ran to go get more ingredients." Tsuna smiled gently. "He said something about being in a hurry. And everyone else? I think they're still asleep."

"Where's the brat?" Gokudera questioned, his voice unusually soft considering he _hated _the blond with all his being.

"Sleeping." Fran yawned. "He wouldn't go to sleep last night."

"Actually..." Tsuna shifted uncomfortably as he took a few seconds to gather his thoughts. "...There's something you should know about him, if you don't already."

"Trust me, he didn't tell me _anything_." Fran rolled his eyes.

"Well..." The brunet's eyes were soft as he looked down to meet Fran's; considering Tsuna had been small as a teenager as well, as an adult, he had grown considerably. "...I asked Gokudera-kun to do a little research on Bel, to see if there was anything that could help you take care of him. ...It seems that Bel is the neglected twin, which may explain why he acts out the way he does."

"Neglected?" Fran wasn't sure how he felt about this, but it most certainly did explain why Bel was so messed up.

"He's always been in the shadow of his brother," Tsuna clarified. "All the attention goes to his brother, all the praise, the love and the care. Poor Bel is left in the background, watching everything. We don't know how far the extent of the neglect goes, but there were records of Bel being given medical care for inexplicable bruises and injuries."

"He told me he doesn't like loud people, or having a hand raised to him..." Fran, knowing what it was like to be neglected, was quick to piece the puzzle together. "Guess that's why he's such a brat."

"If you'd like, we can take him off your hands and find someone who can care for him," the Vongola Decimo offered. "Hibari-san tells us Kusakabe-san is quite gifted in child care."

"No, it's fine." Fran sighed. "Guess looking after him will be a bit harder than anticipated."

"Afraid so." While Gokudera was silent throughout this exchange, there was a tender look in his eyes, one that showed he may be re-thinking his feelings towards his fellow Storm Guardian. "Fran-san? Please do try and be a bit more patient with him."

"The kid's a _monster_," Fran deadpanned. His eyes were wide as he drawled the last word out.

Tsuna laughed, reaching out to pat Fran on the shoulder. "He just needs a bit of love and guidance, and I'm sure he'll come out of his shell eventually."

"Hope so." Fran took a seat at the dining table, vaguely wondering when Lussuria would be back to start breakfast. "I don't think I can handle him attacking me when I'm asleep much longer." Rolling back the sleeve of his uniform, Fran showed the two the bloodied bite marks Bel had left on him last night. "He's like a guard dog or something - one trained to guard against sleep."

Gokudera hid his laughter behind his hand while Tsuna chuckled freely. "He is a bit much."

"Bit much? He's _too _much. I never thought I'd say this, but I'll be glad when he's back to his old self and still using me as his personal moving target practise."

~~XX~~

After lunch, Fran took Bel down to the park. He himself had wanted some fresh air, and the boy had insisted on tagging along - all the while carting that stupid rabbit Fran hadn't seem him part with once.

"Why do you have that rabbit?" Fran asked as they stepped into the park borders, heading for the rest bench a bit further in. "It's old, and... old."

Bel hugged the stuffed toy close to him as if he were offended. "Prince Bel stole it from his brother. He never had toys of his own, and Jill didn't want it."

"Well, does your brother know you have it?" Fran was honestly curious to hear the answer - if what Tsuna had told him was true, there had probably been repercussions for that.

Bel nodded, his bottom lip sticking out. "Jill threw another rock at Prince Bel's head, and then Father came. He tried to take Bunny from Prince Bel..." the boy lifted the rabbit into the air, showing a tear in the stitching just beneath the right arm, "...and ripped him. Prince Bel got smacked, but they gave in and let him keep Bunny."

Fran felt his hands clench as Bel openly admitted to being hit - it made him angry, knowing such a young child could have possibly been abused. Had it been for the better that Bel was here now...? In fact, where was the older Bel? Causing havoc in a past he had hated?

"Well, go... I don't know - go do whatever kids do at parks." Fran shrugged as he sat down on the bench. "Go throw rocks at a bird or something."

It wasn't until a gleeful smile crossed Bel's face did the teenager realise Bel had probably taken his words to heart and would be hunting out birds to assault.

Looking around, the Mist Guardian was relieved to find that there were no birds in sight. Plenty of other kids, though... But Bel surely wouldn't be dumb enough to rock someone else's kid. ...Would he...?

"You little brat!"

_Oh, I guess he is, then. _Fran looked over at someone yelling over a kid crying. He wasn't surprised when he found Bel was standing in the middle of the sandpit, a wide grin on his face as he stood over another kid on the ground. He didn't even seem fazed he was being yelled at - surprising, but then again, Fran understood; Bel was probably so desperate for attention, negative attention was fine.

Standing up, Fran knew it was time to intervene - if it was attention Bel wanted, he wouldn't be given a chance for negative attention.

"Is this your kid?" The - what Fran assumed was the other kid's father - yelled at the teenager. He was mad, his teeth grinding together as he glared down at Bel.

"Do I look old enough to have kids?" Fran rolled his eyes. "No. He's not."

"Then tell his parents to _control _him!" the man snapped. "He pushed my kid into the sand!"

While Fran stood in the line of fire, Bel wandered off, seeking out his next victim. He found two little girls sitting on a see-saw and, with careful precision, tackled the smaller girl off the see-saw.

Fran heard the commotion and, with all the grace of a drunken dancer, ran over and scooped Bel up into his arms. He glared down at the boy before saying, "Do you have any idea of what you are doing?"

"Prince Bel does this with Jill all the time." Bel smiled innocently up at the teenager.

"Wait..." Fran sighed. "Were you trying to _play _with them?"

Bel nodded. "Yup~ What did you think I was doing?"

"Being a brat." Fran sighed as he walked out of the park, knowing not to ever bring Bel back here lest he leave with a wanted poster of his and Bel's faces being posted up through town.

~~XX~~

Back at the Vongola Headquarters, things were no different - Bel had taken to terrorising the other guardians. He had successfully bitten Gokudera on the shin, pulled out strands of Squalo's precious hair, hidden Ryohei's boxing gloves, planted Xanxus' guns in Lussuria's room in an act of framing and, worst of all - snatched Hibari's tonfas and ran.

Everyone could only stare in horror as Hibari lifted Bel into the air by the back of his shirt, certain that this would be the end of Bel's existence - but, to their immense shock, the skylark merely took back his items before placing Bel gently back onto the ground and walking away.

"I thought Bel was going to die..." Tsuna whispered to Gokudera, who nodded in agreement.

Bel just wandered back to Fran's side, yawning, before he climbed onto the chair the teenager was sitting in and curled up on his lap, preparing for a sleep.

Fran put the book he had been reading down as he looked at the boy. He slowly lifted a hand, hesitating for a few seconds, before he ran it through blond locks, a small, barely visible smile crossing his face.


	5. Chapter 5

**Don't kill me for this chapter! There's implied wet dreams, but nothing graphic or anything that could be taken as pedophilia. It's more for developing ****Fran****and (little) ****Bel's****relationship, if anything. **

Bel's eyes opened to the sounds of moans not far from him. It was still dark, the only light coming from the alarm clock across from him that flashed four-twenty-eight.

"Froggy?" Bel could make out the teenager's lump beside him, and he could hear the sheets beneath them rustle as the older male moved around. "Is Froggy sick? Or having a nightmare?"

When no response came to him, Bel crawled out of the bed, holding the rabbit close to him. He navigated the dark room slowly, his footsteps almost silent. He soon found the door after a few trips and stumbles, and to his relief, it opened quietly.

Bel walked across the hallway to the bedroom located across from theirs. He knocked on the door but pushed it open when no one answered him.

"Hello?" Bel wasn't entirely sure of whose room he was in, but the heavy snoring from the occupant in the bed not far from him told him it was a male.

The boy crossed the room and climbed onto the bed, reaching out to shake whoever laid on it. He whimpered as a hand reached out, wrapping around his forearm, expecting to be hit - but to his surprise, the man he had just shaken merely growled at him.

"The fuck are _you _doing in here, shithead?" Bel recognised the voice as Squalo's, and he was shocked that the man wasn't screaming at him like he did everyone else.

"Well..." Bel shifted uncomfortably before he continued speaking. "...Prince Bel thinks Froggy is having a nightmare..."

"So why are you bothering me with that?" Squalo let go of the boy and rolled back onto his side, trying to go back to sleep.

"He keeps moaning and moving around," the blond explained. "It's keeping Prince Bel up."

Squalo's eyes snapped open at these words before he laughed loudly, sitting upright. "Moaning, you say? Guess we'd better get everyone up and make sure he's okay. You stay in here while I gather the audience."

Bel just blinked. "Okay..."

The boy watched Squalo leave the room, wondering why everyone had to be woken up for Fran's nightmare. _Is it really that scary a dream he needs everyone there...? _

Bel swung his legs off the edge of the bed, kicking back and forth as he waited. With each passing minute, he could hear footsteps walking down the corridor, sleepy mutters and confused questions floating through the air.

"Listen up, trash!" Bel heard Squalo order the group. "Who's got a video recorder, or a camera at least?"

The voice Bel recognised as Lussuria's spoke up, only to be ordered to go and grab the device and come back ASAP.

"As for _you..._" Bel watched warily as Squalo approached him again. He squeaked as he was lifted into the air, almost dropping his rabbit; it was just too early for whatever the man had planned - he had only wanted to help with Froggy's nightmares and nothing else...! "...we have our entertainment for the night."

Squalo parted through the crowd, taking the video recorder from Lussuria and pushing the ajar door to Bel and Fran's room open.

The moans that had woken Fran filled the air again as Squalo flicked the device he was holding onto record, demanding someone switch on the light.

Fran didn't stir from the disturbance; now that the room was lit, Bel could see Fran laying on his bed, his eyes closed and mouth parted as drool trailed down his cheek. The boy's lower half was covered by the thin blankets while one arm rested against his chest and the other spread out along the bed.

There was laughter behind Squalo, mostly from the other Varia members. Most of the Vongola just rolled their eyes, complained about being woken up for such a stupid thing and went back to bed. A few of them stayed - Tsuna, shocked that Fran's comrades would take advantage of him like this, and Yamamoto, laughing along with the others - if he even knew what was going on, Tsuna couldn't be sure.

Fran soon awoke from the noise, blinking as he choked in a breath. He sat up and glared at the people standing in his doorway, looking moodier than anyone had ever seen him before - teenage hormones, Squalo would say the next morning.

"What're you..." Fran slurred, his mind hazy from sleep, "...doin'...?"

"Did you have a nightmare, Froggy?" Bel questioned, still sitting on Squalo's shoulders.

"Wha...?" Fran knew what he had dreamt about was far from a nightmare - and then it hit him; Bel had been next to him while his hormones flared up.

This was the first time the Varia had seen Fran look visibly embarrassed; the younger's cheeks had gone red and teal eyes glanced to the side.

"Go 'way..." Fran pulled the covers further over him, turning to lay on his side with his back to the others.

Bel scrambled off Squalo's shoulders while the older males teased Fran, making the other more flustered than he already was. He moved over to the bed and climbed on, sitting before Fran.

"Is Froggy okay?" Bel's tiny hand reached out and rested against the teenager's forehead, concerned when he felt hot skin. He frowned. "Froggy must be ill. Froggy should go back to sleep. Prince Bel will be good so Froggy can feel better soon."

Fran had never thought he'd see Bel in such an innocent light - adult Bel had slept with anything that had two legs, never caring to hide the fact that he was a bit of a hornball. How could this naive little boy grow up to be the whore of the Varia? Most people had assumed that would be Lussuria's title, but nope.

The older members had a lot of explaining to do... Fran could only imagine what Bel had been exposed to as a little boy by the men who were supposed to look after him.

This Bel... The one that wasn't constantly stabbing him, putting him down and making him feel worthless... The little boy who was innocent enough to mistake arousal for illness. The kid who could act like a demon but was willing to behave if his guardian was sick...

Yes, Fran definitely liked this Bel better than the old one.

"I'm going to have to a shower," Fran muttered as he stood up, making sure his back was to Bel as he did so - he didn't want to taint the boy's pureness in any way. "Go back to sleep."

"Okay, Froggy." A smile crossed Bel's face as he laid back down, hugging Bunny tightly. "Prince Bel hopes Froggy feels better soon."

Fran couldn't help but smile as he entered the bathroom - he was kind of hoping little Bel would _never _have to go back.


	6. Chapter 6

When Fran woke the next morning, he noticed that Bel was cuddled in against his chest. The kid had a peaceful smile on his face as his rabbit lay discarded on the other side of the bed, abandoned for a frog.

The blond woke up as Fran shifted. His smile only grew brighter as he looked up at Fran, reaching out to touch the teenager's cheeks. "Does Froggy feel better now?"

Fran nodded. "Much." He sat up, rubbing at his eyes. He was surprised when Bel climbed onto his lap, wrapping his tiny arms around him, but he didn't push Bel away - the blond looked so happy nuzzling into his chest.

Instead, Fran placed a hand in blond hair before he spoke. "What are you doing?"

"Froggy is so warm." Bel looked up into Fran's face, still smiling. "Prince Bel has never felt warmth before."

"What? Why?"

Bel shrugged. "Jill gets hugs from Mother and Father all the time, but Father only hits Prince Bel. Prince Bel just wanted to know what it was like to hug someone he loves."

Fran's eyes widened at these words, unable to process them. Bel... Bel was actually _capable _of _love...? _He knew he had only known the Storm Guardian for a few weeks, but in those said weeks, he had been abused more by the psychopathic blond than he had been by everyone else in his entire _life! _

"Froggy?" Bel's smile faltered at this, and the boy looked at his lap. "...Can Prince Bel have a hug back...? He's never been hugged before."

Fran didn't hesitate to wrap his arms around Bel and hug the younger tight, running a hand through his soft golden locks. Bel tightened his own hold, snuggling in close.

"Froggy?" Bel pushed himself up and pressed a soft kiss to Fran's cheek. He smiled as he let himself slip back down, snuggling in close. "Froggy, Prince Bel loves you. Can Prince Bel stay with Froggy forever?"

Fran grimaced at these words, not knowing what to say; he wanted to keep the younger and try and give him a different life than what he had grown up to live, but if the effects of the Ten-Year Bazooka wore off and Bel went back to his own time, he could imagine how upset the younger would be to have left his Froggy and the life he was happy in.

Instead, Fran went with what was in his heart - one he had never used before. "Well... Maybe not forever, but how about for as long as we can be together?"

"Okay." Bel's smile was so happy, Fran felt his own tug at his lips.

Sometimes he really hated Little Bel, but Fran knew it was only when the younger acted out and frustrated him - it was times like this he couldn't help but feel as if he was finally letting someone into his life, as if he could finally love someone.

"Want to go to a game arcade after lunch?" Fran offered, holding Bel close to him as he stood up.

"Games?" Bel grinned. "Prince Bel loves playing games. Will Froggy play with him?"

"Guess so." Fran allowed himself to smile as he shrugged.

"If Prince Bel can beat Froggy, Froggy has to be his slave for a week," Bel challenged, his voice as serious as ever. "Promise?"

Fran laughed, a sound so rare, the only person who had ever heard it was his Grandmother back when he was still really little - younger even then Bel. "But what if I win?"

The younger male pouted as he crossed his skinny arms against his chest. "Froggy won't beat Prince Bel! Froggy sucks at games! Even Bunny would beat Froggy!"

Fran chuckled, feeling fondness for this boy fester in his heart. "Well, if I do somehow win, you're going to be _my _slave. You have to bring me breakfast in bed every morning."

Bel giggled, springing upward so that he headbutted Fran. He threw his weight forward, knocking the teenager onto his back, before he leapt off the bed and ran to the door.

"Catch Prince Bel!" Bel laughed happily as he opened the door and fled.

Fran just smiled after Bel, reaching out to grab the abandoned rabbit. He climbed out of bed, running a hand through his hair; he had already had his shower when Squalo woke him up, so he just dressed himself in his Varia uniform and headed downstairs, still carrying Bunny to give the Bel.

"Fran-san?"

Fran turned around at the Vongola Decimo's voice. He found Tsuna standing behind him, a soft expression on his face.

"We may have found a way to fix the Ten-Year Bazooka," the brunet explained.

Fran felt his happiness shatter at these words - if they fixed the Bazooka, they could potentially reverse its effects on Bel. Why did this make him feel more miserable than he ever had before?

**A/N I may or may not be bringing this to an end in the coming chapters. Your opinion on this would be greatly appreciated. **


	7. Chapter 7

**I'm going to end this ****fic****with this chapter as I lost the sheet I had the chapter summaries on and now that's just depressing me. Also, I'm not too sure about the ending. I like it, but I think it could have been done better. Opinions, please. **

Bel knew that something was bothering his Froggy, but he wasn't sure what. They were walking through Namimori on their way to a gaming arcade, and Fran had hardly spoken a word, nothing but a thoughtful expression on his face.

Bel didn't like that - he hated knowing that something was bothering Froggy. Reaching up, he tugged on the teenager's sleeve, silently grabbing the teal-haired male's attention. Fran looked down at the boy, frowning.

"Why is Froggy being so quiet today?" Bel tilted his head, growing his own frown. "Does Froggy feel sick again?"

Fran shook his head. He sighed and stopped walking, reaching down to pick Bel up. He shuddered, unused to the sensation of physical touch, as tiny arms wrapped around his neck.

"Bel..." Fran mulled over what he could say in his mind, but none of it sounded any good - instead, he stopped thinking and spoke with his heart. "Bel, we're friends, right? I... I've never had a friend before... I just want you to know that you're important to me, and no matter what happens or if we can't see each other anymore, I'll still think about you."

The boy pressed his lips to Fran's cheek again, his tiny hands clutching teal hair. He didn't understand what Fran was talking about - was he worried they weren't going to see each other anymore...?

"Froggy, Prince Bel will always be with him." The boy nuzzled close to Fran, hugging him tight. "Prince Bel loves his Froggy."

"...I know..." No matter what Fran felt for the boy, he was unable to say the words he _knew _Bel wanted to hear so very much.

Fran carried Bel the rest of the way to the games arcade, the boy talking about random things he could see around him, all the while clutching his rabbit tight to his chest. He was comfortable resting so close to Fran, soothed by the teenager's presence - the teal-haired male was the first person he had ever felt loved by, and as if the older male cared about him.

Bel felt such strong emotions towards the one he viewed as his only friend in the entire world, he was relaxed enough to fall asleep in Fran's arms, his tiny hand fisting the black material of the Varia jacket.

~~XX~~

By the time Fran brought Bel home hours later, the blond had had so much fun, he was exhausted. He was sitting on the bed in their room, watching as Fran pulled his jacket off and tossed it across the room. The teal-haired boy was hot, and the black turtleneck he was wearing under his uniform wasn't helping.

Bel giggled as his guardian pulled his turtleneck off next, his mischievous nature coming out. "Prince Bel thought that Froggy was fat, but now he knows - Froggy is just chubby."

Fran glanced down at his body, his stick-thin figure anything _but _chubby. "Yeah? Your _cheeks _are chubby, you brat." The teenager didn't know what on Earth had possessed him to become offended by a _six-_year-old, and even _he _knew his comeback had just been pathetic.

Bel poked his cheeks, giggling again as he confirmed that what Fran had meant as an insult was the truth and he _liked _his chubby cheeks.

"You should lay off the junk food, or else you'll become fat." Fran slipped on a white singlet, having pulled it and a pair of khaki shorts from the drawers he was storing his clothing in. He kicked off his boots and Varia pants, turning around as he slipped the shorts on next - even with red boxers on beneath, he felt uncomfortable beneath Bel's gaze. "You're already chubby as it is."

Bel pouted at this accusation. "Prince Bel is a growing prince! He's not chubby - it's baby fat!"

"You just called yourself fat, though."

Bel pouted before he started laughing. He left his toy on the bed as he stood up, running to Fran to wrap his tiny arms around the teenager's leg. He nuzzled against it before he looked up, smiling brightly. "Prince Bel loves Froggy. Froggy is Prince Bel'sbestest friend in the whole world!"

Fran felt a genuine smile slip onto his face at these words. He reached out, going to put his hand on golden locks in order to pat Bel's head. "And you're my - B-bel...?"

With a loud _poof _and pink dust clouds, Fran's eyes widened as he realised the boy he had become so fond of had disappeared, leaving the older version he resented so much in his stead.

"Thank fucking God the prince is back in his _own _time." Adult Bel's obnoxious voice filled Fran's head, making the younger feel more depressed than he had ever felt in his life. "Oi, Frog, why do you look so upset?"

Fran knew there was no concern in Bel's heart for him, nothing but cold, malicious intent - so different to the boy he had once been. What had happened to turn Bel into _this? _

"..." Fran turned around, not wanting the blond to see him so weak. "...I'm not. Leave me alone, stupid-senpai."

Bel just shrugged. "What a fucking adventure that was. The prince -"

"- Get _out, _senpai!" Fran shouted, pointing to the door. "...I want... to be alone..."

Bel just blinked behind long bangs before he shrugged again. "Are you really a pedophile or something, frog? Did you molest my younger self and feel bad about it?"

Fran ignored this, waiting until Bel eventually left the room. This was it... It was all over... The boy he had come to love was gone, replaced by his older self Fran _hated_.

Glancing to the bed, Fran's heart dropped as he realised Little Bel had left without Bunny. The teenager picked the stuffed toy up, holding it with tender hands. His heart was tearing, remembering how Little Bel had just... _gone _after telling his guardian how much he loved him - and didn't even get to return with his treasured toy.

Fran sat on the bed, holding the rabbit close to him. He didn't know what to think - all he knew was that, for the first time in his life, he felt _sad_. There was supposed to be _more time _for them to be together! For Bel to stay until the Bazooka was _fixed! _Why did it have to wear off _now...?_

Pulling his knees to his chest, Fran dropped his forehead to them as he hugged the rabbit tightly, suddenly feeling more lonely than he ever had.

~~XX~~

When Bel stepped into their bedroom during dinner, wondering why the frog hadn't come down to eat, he noticed Fran was curled up on the bed, fast asleep, with a familiar-looking toy in his arms.

The blond stepped closer, pulling the toy away to look at it better. His eyes widened as he realised what he was looking at was the one and only toy he had _ever _had - his precious Bunny he thought he had lost.

Bel didn't care about what people would think of him if they saw him; he just hugged the rabbit tight as a placid, genuine smile crossed his face.

Reaching down, Bel caressed teal strands before he tucked his old rabbit back into Fran's arms. Feeling docile tonight, relaxed with happiness, Bel left the room, just glad to know that maybe he could never have the childhood he had wanted - that _Rasiel_had gotten - but at least the one thing that he had treasured more than anything was finally back in his life, no longer lost to time.

Perhaps that crazy adventure had been worth it after all.


End file.
